Foldable electronic device including display protection structure

ABSTRACT

An electronic device is provided, which includes a first housing; a second housing; a hinge structure including a hinge module connecting the first housing and the second housing; a flexible display including a first region, a second region, and a bending region; a first protection cover disposed over the first housing; a second protection cover disposed over the second housing; a protective cap disposed over the hinge structure; and a blocking member disposed between the flexible display and the protective cap and connecting the first protection cover and the second protection cover, the blocking member being composed of an elastic material to bend corresponding to the foldable manner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.17/969,239, which was filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office(USPTO) on Oct. 19, 2022, which is a Continuation of U.S. applicationSer. No. 17/028,193, which was filed in the USPTO on Sep. 22, 2020,issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,507,137 on Nov. 22, 2022, which is aContinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/838,555, which was filed inthe USPTO on Apr. 2, 2020, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,838,458 on Nov.17, 2020, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean PatentApplication Nos. 10-2019-0064849 and 10-2019-0087535, which were filedin the Korean Intellectual Property Office on May 31, 2019, and Jul. 19,2019, respectively, the entire disclosure of each of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The disclosure relates generally to a foldable electronic deviceincluding a display protection structure.

2. Description of Related Art

Electronic devices are becoming slimmer and are being upgraded so as toincrease rigidity, enhance design aspects, and differentiate functionalelements thereof. Electronic devices, which often have a uniformrectangular shape, are gradually evolving into electronic devices havingvarious shapes. For example, electronic devices may have an alterablestructure that is highly portable and supports a large screen displaywhen being used. In accordance with this trend, foldable electronicdevices in which at least two housings may be folded or unfoldedrelative to one another are continuously being developed, and variousimprovements are being made to the folding structure.

A foldable electronic device may include a hinge structure, a firsthousing structure, and a second housing structure, where the firsthousing structure and the second housing structure are connected via thehinge structure. The foldable electronic device may be folded andunfolded by the first housing structure to rotating in a range of 0 to360 degrees relative to the second housing structure through the hingestructure. The foldable electronic device may include a flexible displaydisposed across the first housing structure and the second housingstructure in an open state with 180 degrees.

Unlike a conventional bar type electronic device, the foldableelectronic device does not include a rigid structure (e.g., a frontwindow) for protecting the display because the display must be foldedwith the housing structures. Therefore, in the foldable electronicdevice, the display is fixed to the housing structures with a protectivelayer (e.g., a polyimide (PI) film) disposed on an upper surfacethereof, and its periphery may be hidden through a separate protectioncover.

The foldable electronic device may be provided with a disconnectionspace, at a portion corresponding to the hinge structure, where theprotection covers disposed in the housing structures are disconnected toprovide a degree of freedom for the hinge structure according to thefolding operation. As the periphery of the display is exposed throughthe disconnection space, a foreign substance may flow into thedisconnection space.

In addition, the user may lift the periphery of the display with afingernail or a sharp tool, causing the display to malfunction.

Further, in the disconnection space, squashing may occur due to the gapbetween the display and the hinge structure, which may also cause thedisplay to malfunction.

SUMMARY

The disclosure has been made to address at least the disadvantagesdescribed above and to provide at least the advantages described below.

Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure is to provide a foldableelectronic device including a display protection structure.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device isprovided. The electronic device includes a first housing; a secondhousing; a hinge structure including a hinge module connecting the firsthousing and the second housing in a foldable manner with respect to thefolding axis, and a hinge housing accommodating the hinge module; aflexible display including a first region corresponding to the firsthousing, a second region corresponding to the second housing, and abending region corresponding to the hinge structure; a first protectioncover disposed over the first housing to cover a first periphery of thefirst region of the flexible display; a second protection cover disposedover the second housing to cover a second periphery of the second regionof the flexible display; a protective cap disposed over the hingestructure; and a blocking member disposed between the flexible displayand the protective cap and connecting the first protection cover and thesecond protection cover such that a third periphery of the bendingregion of the flexible display is covered by the blocking member, theblocking member being composed of an elastic material to bendcorresponding to the foldable manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certainembodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the followingdetailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which the same or similar reference symbols may be used torefer to the same or like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic device in an unfolded state accordingto an embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates an electronic device in a folded state according toan embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 4A illustrates an electronic device including a protectionstructure according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4B illustrates regions or zones configured in an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment;

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a first blocking zone B1 including aprotection structure in the electronic device of FIG. 4B according to anembodiment;

FIG. 6A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 5A taken along the line C1-C1′ according to anembodiment;

FIG. 6B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 5A taken along the line D-D′ according to an embodiment;

FIG. 6C illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 5A taken along the line C2-C2′ according to anembodiment;

FIG. 6D illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment;

FIG. 7 illustrates a size of a protective cap determined based on aradius of curvature of a display when an electronic device is foldedaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 8 illustrates a partial view of an electronic device including ablocking member according to an embodiment;

FIG. 9 illustrates a partial perspective view illustrating a blockingmember arranged on protection covers according to an embodiment;

FIG. 10 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 8 taken along the line E-E′ according to an embodiment;

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a partial view of an electronic deviceincluding a blocking member according to an embodiment;

FIG. 13 illustrates a partial view of an electronic device including aprotective cap according to an embodiment;

FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate a partial cross-sectional view of theelectronic device in FIG. 13 taken along the line F-F′ according to anembodiment;

FIG. 15 illustrates a size of a protective cap determined based on aradius of curvature of a display when an electronic device is foldedaccording to an embodiment;

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate a partial view of an electronic deviceincluding a protection structure according to an embodiment;

FIG. 18 illustrates an assembly process of the protection structure inFIG. 16 according to an embodiment;

FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate partial front and rear perspective views of ablocking member disposed on protection covers according to anembodiment;

FIG. 21A illustrates a partial perspective view of a hinge housingaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 21B illustrates a partial perspective view of a blocking memberdisposed in a hinge housing of an electronic device according to anembodiment;

FIG. 21C illustrates a blocking member folded along a hinge housingaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 22 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along the line G-G′ inFIG. 21C according to an embodiment;

FIG. 23 illustrates a partial view of an electronic device including aprotective cap and a blocking structure according to an embodiment;

FIG. 24 illustrates a hinge plate according to an embodiment;

FIGS. 25A and 25B illustrate an electronic device including a protectionstructure according to an embodiment;

FIG. 25C illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 25B taken along the line H-H′ according to an embodiment;

FIG. 26A illustrates a perspective view of a blocking member accordingto an embodiment;

FIG. 26B illustrates a rear view of a blocking member according to anembodiment;

FIG. 26C illustrates a cross-sectional view of the blocking member inFIG. 26A taken along the line I-I′ according to an embodiment;

FIG. 27 illustrates a partial rear perspective view of a blocking memberdisposed on protection covers according to an embodiment;

FIG. 28A illustrates a partial view of an electronic device including aprotection structure according to an embodiment;

FIG. 28B illustrates a partial view of housing structures includingauxiliary blocking members according to an embodiment;

FIG. 29A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 28A taken along the line J-J′ according to an embodiment;

FIG. 29B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 28A taken along the line K-K′ according to an embodiment;

FIG. 29C illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a folded state ofthe electronic device in FIG. 29B according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 30 illustrates an operational diagram of a contact configurationbetween a protective cap and auxiliary blocking members due to a foldingoperation of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description with reference to accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of variousembodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the various embodiments describedherein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of thedisclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions andconstructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

FIG. 1 illustrates an unfolded state of an electronic device accordingto an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an electronic device 100 may include a pair ofhousing structures 110 and 120 rotatably coupled via a hinge structure(e.g., hinge structure 164 in FIG. 3 ) to be folded relative to eachother, a hinge cover 165 covering the foldable portion of the pair ofhousing structures 110 and 120, and a display 130 (e.g., flexibledisplay or foldable display) disposed in the space formed by the pair ofhousing structures 110 and 120. In the description, the surface on whichthe display 130 is disposed may be referred to as the front surface ofthe electronic device 100, and the opposite side of the front surfacemay be referred to as the rear surface of the electronic device 100. Thesurface surrounding the space between the front surface and the rearsurface may be referred to as the side surface of the electronic device100.

In one embodiment, the pair of housing structures 110 and 120 mayinclude a first housing structure 110 including a sensor region 131 d, asecond housing structure 120, a first rear cover 140, and a second rearcover 150. The pair of housing structures 110 and 120 of the electronicdevice 100 are not limited to the shape or combination illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2 , but may be implemented in various shapes orcombinations. For example, in another embodiment, the first housingstructure 110 and the first rear cover 140 may be formed as a singlebody, and the second housing structure 120 and the second rear cover 150may be formed as a single body.

In one embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and the secondhousing structure 120 may be disposed at both sides with respect to thefolding axis (A) and may be substantially symmetrical with respect tothe folding axis (A). In one embodiment, the angle or distance betweenthe first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 mayvary depending upon whether the electronic device 100 is in the flatstate or closed state, the folded state, or the intermediate state. Inone embodiment, the first housing structure 110 includes the sensorregion 131 d where various sensors are disposed, but may have asymmetrical shape with the second housing structure 120 in otherregions. In another embodiment, the sensor region 131 d may be disposedin a specific region of the second housing structure 120 or may bereplaced.

In one embodiment, during the flat state of the electronic device 100,the first housing structure 110 may be connected to the hinge structure(e.g., hinge structure 164 in FIG. 3 ), and may include a first surface111 facing the front surface of the electronic device 100, a secondsurface 112 facing away from the first surface 111, and a first sidemember 113 enclosing at least a portion of the space between the firstsurface 111 and the second surface 112. In one embodiment, the firstside member 113 may include a first side surface 113 a disposed inparallel with the folding axis (A), a second side surface 113 bextending from one end of the first side surface 113 a in a directionperpendicular to the folding axis, and a third side surface 113 cextending from the other end of the first side surface 113 a in adirection perpendicular to the folding axis.

In one embodiment, during the flat state of the electronic device 100,the second housing structure 120 may be connected to the hinge structure(e.g., hinge structure 164 in FIG. 3 ), and may include a third surface121 facing the front surface of the electronic device 100, a fourthsurface 122 facing away from the third surface 121, and a second sidemember 123 enclosing at least a portion of the space between the thirdsurface 121 and the fourth surface 122. In one embodiment, the secondside member 123 may include a fourth side surface 123 a disposed inparallel with the folding axis (A), a fifth side surface 123 b extendingfrom one end of the fourth side surface 123 a in a directionperpendicular to the folding axis, and a sixth side surface 123 cextending from the other end of the fourth side surface 123 a in adirection perpendicular to the folding axis. In one embodiment, thethird surface 121 may face the first surface 111 in the folded state.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may include a recess 101formed to accommodate the display 130 through a structural combinationof the shapes of the first housing structure 110 and the second housingstructure 120. The recess 101 may have substantially the same size asthe display 130. In one embodiment, the recess 101 may have two or moredifferent widths in a direction perpendicular to the folding axis (A)due to the sensor region 131 d. For example, the recess 101 may have afirst width (W1) between a first portion 120 a of the second housingstructure 120 parallel to the folding axis (A) and a first portion 110 aof the first housing structure 110 formed at the edge of the sensorregion 131 d, and have a second width (W2) between a second portion 120b of the second housing structure 120 and a second portion 110 b of thefirst housing structure 110 that does not correspond to the sensorregion 113 d and is parallel to the folding axis (A). Here, the secondwidth (W2) may be wider than the first width (W1). In other words, therecess 101 may be formed to have the first width (W1) ranging from thefirst portion 110 a of the first housing structure 110 to the firstportion 120 a of the second housing structure 120 (asymmetric shape),and the second width (W2) ranging from the second portion 110 b of thefirst housing structure 110 to the second portion 120 b of the secondhousing structure 120 (symmetric shape). In one embodiment, the firstportion 110 a and the second portion 110 b of the first housingstructure 110 may be located at different distances from the foldingaxis (A). The width of the recess 101 is not limited to the exampleshown above. In various embodiments, the recess 101 may have two or moredifferent widths owing to the shape of the sensor region 113 d or theasymmetry of the first housing structure 110 or the second housingstructure 120.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the first housing structure 110and the second housing structure 120 may be made of a metal or non-metalmaterial having a rigidity value selected to support the display 130.

In one embodiment, the sensor region 131 d may be formed to have apreset area near to one corner of the first housing structure 110.However, the arrangement, shape, or size of the sensor region 131 d isnot limited to the illustrated example. For example, in a certainembodiment, the sensor region 131 d may be formed at another corner ofthe first housing structure 110 or in any region between the uppercorner and the lower corner. In another embodiment, the sensor region131 d may be disposed at a portion of the second housing structure 120.In another embodiment, the sensor region 131 d may be formed to extendbetween the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure120. In one embodiment, to perform various functions, the electronicdevice 100 may include components exposed to the front surface of theelectronic device 100 through the sensor region 113 d or through one ormore openings provided in the sensor region 131 d. The components mayinclude, for example, at least one of a front camera, a receiver, aproximity sensor, an illuminance sensor, an iris recognition sensor, anultrasonic sensor, or an indicator.

In one embodiment, the first rear cover 140 may be disposed on thesecond surface 112 of the first housing structure 110 and may have asubstantially rectangular periphery. In one embodiment, at least aportion of the periphery may be wrapped by the first housing structure110. Similarly, the second rear cover 150 may be disposed on the fourthsurface 122 of the second housing structure 120, and at least a portionof the periphery thereof may be wrapped by the second housing structure120.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first rear cover 140 and the secondrear cover 150 may have a substantially symmetrical shape with respectto the folding axis (A). In another embodiment, the first rear cover 140and the second rear cover 150 may have various different shapes. Inanother embodiment, the first rear cover 140 may be formed as a singlebody with the first housing structure 110, and the second rear cover 150may be formed as a single body with the second housing structure 120.

In one embodiment, the first rear cover 140, the second rear cover 150,the first housing structure 110, and the second housing structure 120may be combined with each other so as to provide a space where variouscomponents (e.g., printed circuit board, antenna module, sensor module,and battery) of the electronic device 100 can be arranged. In oneembodiment, one or more components may be disposed on or visuallyexposed via the rear surface of the electronic device 100. For example,one or more components or sensors may be visually exposed through thefirst rear region 141 of the first rear cover 140. The sensors mayinclude a proximity sensor, a rear camera, and/or a flash. In anotherembodiment, at least a portion of the sub-display 152 may be visuallyexposed through the second rear region 151 of the second rear cover 150.

The display 130 may be disposed on the space formed by the pair ofhousing structures 110 and 120. For example, the display 130 may beseated in the recess (e.g., recess 101 in FIG. 1 ) formed by the pair ofhousing structures 110 and 120, and may be disposed to substantiallyoccupy most of the front surface of the electronic device 100. Hence,the front surface of the electronic device 100 may include the display130, a portion (e.g., edge region) of the first housing structure 110close to the display 130, and a portion (e.g. edge region) of the secondhousing structure 120 close to the display 130. In one embodiment, therear surface of the electronic device 100 may include the first rearcover 140, a portion (e.g., edge region) of the first housing structure110 close to the first rear cover 140, the second rear cover 150, and aportion (e.g. edge region) of the second housing structure 120 close tothe second rear cover 150.

In one embodiment, the display 130 may refer to a display whose at leasta portion may be deformed into a flat or curved surface. In oneembodiment, the display 130 may include a folding region 131 c, a firstregion 131 a disposed on one side (e.g., right side of the foldingregion 131 c) with respect to the folding region 131 c, and a secondregion 131 b disposed on the other side (e.g., left side of the foldingregion 131 c). For example, the first region 131 a may be disposed onthe first surface 111 of the first housing structure 110, and the secondregion 131 b may be disposed on the third surface 121 of the secondhousing structure 120. This demarcation of the display 130 is only anexample, and the display 130 may be subdivided into plural regions(e.g., four or more regions) according to the structure orfunctionality. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the area ofthe display 130 may be subdivided with respect to the folding region 131c or the folding axis (A) extending parallel to the y-axis. However, inanother embodiment, the area of the display 130 may be subdivided withrespect to a different folding region (e.g., folding region parallel tothe x-axis) or a different folding axis (e.g., folding axis parallel tothe x-axis). The aforementioned subdivision of the display is only aphysical demarcation based on the pair of housing structures 110 and 120and the hinge structure (e.g., hinge structure 164 in FIG. 3 ), and thedisplay 130 may substantially present one full screen through the pairof housing structures 110 and 120 and the hinge structure (e.g., hingestructure 164 in FIG. 3 ). In one embodiment, the first region 131 a andthe second region 131 b may have a symmetrical shape with respect to thefolding region 131 c. Although the first region 131 a may include anotch region (e.g., notch region 133 in FIG. 3 ) cut according to thepresence of the sensor region 131 d, it may have a symmetrical shapewith the second region 131 b in other portions. In other words, thefirst region 131 a and the second region 131 b may include portions withsymmetrical shapes and portions with asymmetrical shapes.

FIG. 2 illustrates a folded state of an electronic device according toan embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the hinge cover 165 may be disposed between thefirst housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 so asto cover the internal components (e.g., hinge structure 164 in FIG. 3 ).In one embodiment, the hinge cover 165 may be covered by portions of thefirst housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 or beexposed to the outside according to the operating state (e.g., flatstate or folded state) of the electronic device 100.

For example, when the electronic device 100 is in the flat state asillustrated in FIG. 1 , the hinge cover 165 may be covered by the firsthousing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 so as not tobe exposed. When the electronic device 100 is in the folded state (e.g.,completely folded state) as illustrated in FIG. 2 , the hinge cover 165may be exposed to the outside between the first housing structure 110and the second housing structure 120. When the electronic device 100 isin the intermediate state where the first housing structure 110 and thesecond housing structure 120 make a certain angle, the hinge cover 165may be partially exposed to the outside between the first housingstructure 110 and the second housing structure 120. In this case, theexposed portion may be less than that for the fully folded state. In oneembodiment, the hinge cover 165 may include a curved surface.

Next, a description is given of configurations of the first housingstructure 110 and the second housing structure 120 and regions of thedisplay 130 according to the operating state (e.g. flat state or foldedstate) of the electronic device 100.

In one embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in the flat state(e.g., state of FIG. 1 ), the first housing structure 110 and the secondhousing structure 120 may make an angle of 180 degrees, and the firstregion 131 a and the second region 131 b of the display may be disposedto face in the same direction. In addition, the folding region 131 c maybe coplanar with the first region 131 a and the second region 131 b.

In one embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in the folded state(e.g., state of FIG. 2 ), the first housing structure 110 and the secondhousing structure 120 may be disposed to face each other. The firstregion 131 a and the second region 131 b of the display 130 may faceeach other, making a narrow angle (e.g., between 0 degrees and 10degrees). At least a portion of the folding region 131 c may form acurved surface with a preset curvature.

In one embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in the intermediatestate, the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure120 may be disposed to make a certain angle. The first region 131 a andthe second region 131 b of the display 130 may form an angle greaterthan that for the folded state and less than that for the flat state. Atleast a portion of the folding region 131 c may form a curved surfacewith a preset curvature. This curvature may be less than that for thefolded state.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3 , in one embodiment, the electronic device 100 mayinclude a display 130, a support member assembly 160, at least oneprinted circuit board 170, a first housing structure 110, a secondhousing structure 120, a first rear cover 140, and a second rear cover150. In the description, the display 130 may be referred to as a displayunit, display module, or display assembly.

The display 130 may include a display panel 131 (e.g., flexible displaypanel), and at least one plate 132 or layer on which the display panel131 is seated. In one embodiment, the plate 132 may be disposed betweenthe display panel 131 and the support member assembly 160. The displaypanel 131 may be disposed in at least a portion of one surface of theplate 132. The plate 132 may include a first plate 1321 and a secondplate 1322 divided based on the hinge structure 164. The plate 132 mayinclude at least one member that cannot be folded together when thefirst housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 rotatein a folded and/or unfolded state based on the hinge structure 164. Theplate 132 may include at least one subsidiary material layer (e.g.,graphite member) and/or a conductive plate (e.g., SUS sheet or Cu sheet)disposed at a rear surface of the display panel 131. In one embodiment,the plate 132 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the displaypanel 131. For example, a partial area of the first plate 1321 may beformed in a shape corresponding to the notch area 133 of the displaypanel 131. In another embodiment, the conductive plate may be integrallyformed through a bendable connecting area.

The support member assembly 160 may include a first support member 161,a second support member 162, a hinge structure 164 disposed between thefirst support member 161 and the second support member 162, a hingecover 165 to cover the hinge structure 164 when viewed from the outside,and a wiring member 163 (e.g., flexible printed circuit board (FPCB))that crosses the first support member 161 and the second support member162.

In one embodiment, the support member assembly 160 may be disposedbetween the plate 132 and at least one printed circuit board 170. Forexample, the first support member 161 may be disposed between the firstregion 131 a of the display 130 and the first printed circuit board 171.The second support member 162 may be disposed between the second region131 b of the display 130 and the second printed circuit board 172.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the wiring member 163 and thehinge structure 164 may be disposed within the support member assembly160. The wiring member 163 may be disposed in a direction crossing thefirst support member 161 and the second support member 162 (e.g., x-axisdirection). The wiring member 163 may be disposed in a direction (e.g.,x-axis direction) perpendicular to the folding axis (e.g., y-axis orfolding axis (A) in FIG. 2 ) of the folding region 131 c.

The at least one printed circuit board 170 may include, as describedabove, the first printed circuit board 171 disposed on the side of thefirst support member 161, and the second printed circuit board 172disposed on the side of the second support member 162. The first printedcircuit board 171 and the second printed circuit board 172 may bedisposed inside the space formed by the support member assembly 160, thefirst housing structure 110, the second housing structure 120, the firstrear cover 140, and the second rear cover 150. Various components forimplementing functions of the electronic device 100 may be mounted onthe first printed circuit board 171 and the second printed circuit board172.

In an embodiment, the first housing structure 110 may include a firstprinted circuit board 171, a battery 191, at least one sensor module181, or at least one camera module 182 disposed in a space formedthrough the first support member 161. The first housing structure 110may include a window glass 183 disposed to protect at least one sensormodule 181 and at least one camera module 182 at a positioncorresponding to the notch area 133 of the display 130. In anembodiment, the second housing structure 120 may include a secondprinted circuit board 172 disposed in a space formed through the secondsupport member 162. According to one embodiment, the first housingstructure 110 and the first support member 161 may be integrally formed.According to one embodiment, the second housing structure 120 and thesecond support member 162 may also be integrally formed.

In one embodiment, the first housing structure 110 may include a firstrotary support surface 114, and the second housing structure 120 mayinclude a second rotary support surface 124 corresponding to the firstrotary support surface 114. The first rotary support surface 114 and thesecond rotary support surface 124 may include a curved surfacecorresponding to the curved surface included in the hinge cover 165.

In one embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in the flat state(e.g., state of FIG. 1 ), the first rotary support surface 114 and thesecond rotary support surface 124 may cover the hinge cover 165 so thatthe hinge cover 165 may be not or minimally exposed to the rear surfaceof the electronic device 100. When the electronic device 100 is in thefolded state (e.g., state of FIG. 2 ), the first rotary support surface114 and the second rotary support surface 124 may rotate along thecurved surface included in the hinge cover 165 so that the hinge cover165 may be maximally exposed to the rear surface of the electronicdevice 100.

Certain embodiments of the disclosure may provide a housing, a method ofproducing the same, and an electronic device including the same.

Certain embodiments of the disclosure may provide a housing in which auniform processing line may be formed in the housing that includescorners having different radii of curvature, a method of producing thehousing, and an electronic device including the same.

Certain embodiments of the disclosure may provide a housing, a method ofproducing the housing, and an electronic device including the same inwhich the electronic device has enhanced aesthetic appearance due to auniform processing line in the housing that includes corners havingdifferent radii of curvature.

Certain embodiments of the disclosure may provide a housing, a method ofproducing the housing, and an electronic device including the sameconfigured for sound transmission. The sound transmission may beimproved because an adhesion area between an acoustic module assemblyand the housing may be extended regardless of the size and/or shape of asound transmission opening formed in the outer surface of the housing.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exploded perspective view of an electronic deviceincluding a protection structure according to an embodiment. FIG. 4Billustrates regions or zones configured in an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the electronic device 400 includes a firsthousing structure 410, which includes a first surface 411, a secondsurface 412 facing opposite the first surface 411, a first side member413 surrounding a first space between the first surface 411 and thesecond surface 412. The electronic device 400 includes a second housingstructure 420, which includes a third surface 421 facing the samedirection as the first surface 411, a fourth surface 422 facing the samedirection as the second surface 412, a second side member 423surrounding a second space between the third surface 421 and the fourthsurface 422. The first housing structure 410 and the second housingstructure 420 may be rotatably installed relative to each other througha hinge structure 464. For example, the hinge structure 464 may allowthe first housing structure 410 and the second housing structure 420 tofold or unfold relative to each other by use of at least one hingemodule included in the hinge housing 470. When the electronic device 400is folded, the first surface 411 and the third surface 421 face eachother. When the electronic device 400 is unfolded, the first surface 411and the third surface 421 may face the same direction.

The electronic device 400 includes a display 430 (e.g., a flexibledisplay) that at least partially crosses the first surface 411 and thethird surface 421. The display 430 may be arranged to be supported by atleast some portions of the first housing structure 410, the hingestructure 464, and the second housing structure 420.

The electronic device 400 includes a first region h1 facing the firsthousing structure 410, a second region h2 facing the second housingstructure 420, and a folding region h3 facing the hinge structure 464.In the electronic device 400, the first housing structure 410corresponding to the first region h1 is folded or unfolded relative tothe second housing structure 420 corresponding to the second region h2through the hinge structure 464 corresponding to the folding region h3.

The electronic device 400 may include at least one protection cover 440or 450 disposed on the display 430. The at least one protection cover440 and 450 may be used as a decorative member. The at least oneprotection cover 440 or 450 may include a first protection cover 440disposed in the first region h1 and a second protection cover 450disposed in the second region h2. The first protection cover 440 may bedisposed on the display 430 in the first region h1. For example, thedisplay 430 may be arranged such that the first periphery 431corresponding to the first region h1 is not exposed to the outsidebetween the first protection cover 440 and the first housing structure410.

The second protection cover 450 may be disposed on the display 430 inthe second region h2. For example, the display 430 may be arranged suchthat the second periphery 432 corresponding to the second region h2 isnot exposed to the outside between the second protection cover 450 andthe second housing structure 420. The protection covers 440 and 450 maybe made of a polymer material or a metal material, and may be arrangedrespectively at the housing structures 410 and 420 through at least onecoupling option such as bonding, taping, fusion, or structural bonding.

Alternatively, for the folding operation of the first housing structure410 and the second housing structure 420 with respect to the hingestructure 464, the pair of protection covers 440 and 450 may be omittedfrom the folding region h3 corresponding to the hinge structure 464.

The electronic device 400 may include protection structures 500 toprotect the third periphery 433 and the fourth periphery 434 of thedisplay 430 exposed to the outside in the folding region h3. The thirdperiphery 433 and the fourth periphery 434 of the display 430 may be atleast partially blocked by the protection structures 500 so as to beinvisible from the outside.

The protection structures 500 may be arranged respectively to protectthe third periphery 433 exposed to a first blocking zone B1 being oneend of the hinge structure 464 in the folding region h3 and the fourthperiphery 434 exposed to a second blocking zone B2 being the other endof the hinge structure 464. The protection structure 500 includes aprotective cap 510 disposed in the hinge housing 470 of the electronicdevice 400, and a blocking member 520 at least partially supported bythe protective cap 510 and arranged to at least partially conceal thethird periphery 433 of the display 430 from the outside. The protectionstructures 500 disposed in the blocking zones B1 and B2 may havesubstantially the same configuration. Therefore, the protectionstructure 500 disposed in the first blocking zone B1 will be shown anddescribed in detail below, while a description on the protectionstructure 500 disposed in the second blocking zone B2 will be omitted.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a first blocking zone B1 including theprotection structure 500 in the electronic device of FIG. 4B accordingto an embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the electronic device 400 includes thefirst region h1 facing the first housing structure 410, the secondregion h2 facing the second housing structure 420, and the foldingregion h3 facing the hinge structure. The electronic device 400includes, as the protection structure 500, the protective cap 510 andthe blocking member 520 formed to be at least partially supported by theprotective cap 510 in the first blocking zone B1 of the folding regionh3. The blocking member 520 includes a film member made of a polymermaterial such as polyurethane (PU) or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

Alternatively, the blocking member 520 may include a thin metal plate.The blocking member 520 may be supported by at least a portion of theprotective cap 510, cover the third periphery 433 on the display 430,and may connect the first protection cover 440 and the second protectioncover 450. Specifically, the blocking member 520 may connect the firstprotection cover 440 and the second protection cover 450 and may blockthe third periphery 433 of the display 430 exposed to the folding regionh3 from being visible from the outside, thereby preventing the displayfrom being damaged by arbitrary manipulation of the periphery 433. Inaddition, at least a portion of the protective cap 510 fills the spacebetween the hinge housing and the display 430, thereby preventingdeformation of the display 430 due to the pressing.

The protective cap 510 includes, in the folding region h3, a base 511fixed to the hinge housing 470, a protrusion 512 extending upward fromthe base 511 and having a first width w1, and a support part 513extending from the protrusion 512 toward the display, supporting atleast a portion of the blocking member 520 and having a second width w2smaller than the first width w1. The support part 513 may be formed sothat its width gradually decreases as it is closer to the display, orthe width may be fixed. Alternatively, the support part 513 may beformed so that its width gradually increases as it is closer to thedisplay. The base 511 may include a stepped portion formed lower thanthe protrusion 512 at the left and right ends. For the quality of theexterior of the electronic device 400 and preventing the inflow offoreign substances, the first width w1 of the protrusion 512 may bedetermined for reducing the gap g1 with the protection covers 440 and450. The second width w2 of the support part 513 may be determined basedon a radius of curvature formed when the display 430 is folded. Theprotective cap 510 may be made of polycarbonate (PC), rubber, urethane,silicone, and/or metal. Alternatively, the protective cap 510 may beformed through insert injection molding that injects a metal materialinto a polymer material.

The blocking member 520 includes, in a region corresponding to thefolding region h3, a bendable part 521 disposed to at least partiallycover the third periphery 433 of the display 430, a first extension part522 extending between the first housing structure 410 and the firstprotection cover 440 from the bendable part 521, and a second extensionpart 523 extending between the second housing structure 420 and thesecond protection cover 450 from the bendable part 521. The bendablepart 521 includes a seating portion 5211 for accommodating theprotrusion 512 of the protective cap 510. The protrusion 512 of theprotective cap 510 is seated on the seating portion 5211 of the blockingmember 520 and some portions of the extension parts 522 and 523extending toward the left and right of the seating portion 5211 aresupported by the stepped portion of the base 511.

FIG. 6A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice 400 in FIG. 5A taken along the line C1-C1′ according to anembodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6A, the support part 513 of the protective cap 510 maybe disposed at a position at least partially overlapping with the thirdperiphery 433 of the display 430 when the display 430 is viewed fromabove. The blocking member 520 may be disposed on the display 430 sothat at least a portion of the blocking member 520 covers the thirdperiphery 433 of the display 430. At least a portion of the blockingmember 520 may be disposed between the support part 513 of theprotective cap 510 and the display 430, so that the blocking member 520can be firmly supported.

FIG. 6B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 5A taken along the line D-D′ according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 5B and 6B, the electronic device 400 may furtherinclude a guide structure for alleviating the concentration of stressapplied to the bendable part 521 of the blocking member 520 due to thefolding operation of the first housing structure 410 and the secondhousing structure 420 and providing smooth flexural characteristicswithout excessive stress on the display 430. The blocking member 520includes a first guide hole 5221 formed at the first extension part 522to receive a first guide protrusion 441 protruding from the innersurface of the first protection cover 440 toward the first housingstructure 410, and a second guide hole 5231 formed at the secondextension part 523 to receive a second guide protrusion 451 protrudingfrom the inner surface of the second protection cover 450 toward thesecond housing structure 420. When the first housing structure 410 andthe second housing structure 420 are in a folding operation, the firstextension part 522 and the second extension part 523 of the blockingmember 520 can be moved in the left and right directions (e.g., {circlearound (1)} direction or {circle around (2)} direction in FIG. 6B) underthe guidance of the first guide protrusion 441 and the second guideprotrusion 451 penetrating the first guide hole 5221 and the secondguide hole 5231, respectively, alleviating the concentration of stressapplied to the bendable part 521. For example, to prevent separation ofthe first extension part 522 and the second extension part 523 whilefolding or unfolding the electronic device 400, the first guideprotrusion 441 and the second guide protrusion 451 may protrude up tothe first housing structure 410 and the second housing structure 420.

Alternatively, the first guide protrusion 441 and the second guideprotrusion 451 may be structurally coupled to the first housingstructure 410 and the second housing structure 420, respectively, or thefirst guide protrusion 441 and the second guide protrusion 451 may havea shape (e.g., hook shape) for preventing separation of the firstextension part 522 and the second extension part 523 while folding orunfolding the electronic device 400.

The protective cap 510 includes at least one seating protrusion 5111protruding downward from the base 511. When the protective cap 510 isdisposed in the hinge housing 470, the protective cap 510 may be fixedby seating the at least one seating protrusion 5111 in a seating groove471 formed at the hinge housing 470. The seating protrusion 5111 of theprotective cap 510 may be fixed to the seating groove 471 of the hingehousing 470 through at least one process including bonding, taping, orfusion.

FIG. 6C illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 5A taken along the line C2-C2′ according to anembodiment. Specifically, FIG. 6C illustrates an arrangement of thedisplay 430 between the first protection cover 440 and the first housingstructure 410 in the first region h1. In the second region h2, thearrangement of the display 430 between the second protection cover 450and the second housing structure 420 is substantially the same as in thefirst region h1, and a description thereon may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 6C, the first protection cover 440 may be disposed inthe first housing structure 410 to at least partially overlap thedisplay 430 (e.g., the first periphery 431) when the display 430 isviewed from above. The first protection cover 440 includes a firstportion 4401 being in contact with at least a portion of the display 430to prevent the display 430 from sagging, and a second portion 4402extending from the first portion 4401 and spaced apart from the display430 by a preset distance in the vertical direction. The first portion4401 of the first protection cover 440 may supports the display 430 nearthe first periphery 431. The second portion 4402 extending from thefirst portion 4401 of the first protection cover 440 may be spaced apartfrom the display 430, thereby preventing damage to the outer surface ofthe display 430.

FIG. 6D illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6D, the support part 513 of the protective cap 510 maybe disposed to not overlap the third periphery 433 of the display 430when the display 430 is viewed from above. When the support part 513 andthe display 430 overlap, damage may be caused to a portion of thedisplay 430 overlapping the protective cap 510 while the display 430 isfolded. Also, the support part 513 of the protective cap 510 notoverlapping the third periphery 433 of the display 430 prevents theheight of the protrusion 512 from increasing. Hence, the protective cap510 may be arranged in the folding region h3 such that the support part513 maintains a preset gap g2 with the third periphery 433 of thedisplay 430 when the display 430 is viewed from above.

FIG. 7 illustrates a size of a protective cap determined based on aradius of curvature of a display when an electronic device is foldedaccording to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7 , when the electronic device 400 is folded, thedisplay 430 corresponding to the folding region h3 formed by the firsthousing structure 410 and the second housing structure 420 may be foldedto have a specific radius of curvature R due to the in-foldingcharacteristic. The blocking member 520 may also be folded to havesubstantially the same radius of curvature R together with the display430 while surrounding the support part 513 protruding from theprotrusion 512 of the protective cap 510. As a result, the size of thesupport part 513 extending from the protrusion 512 of the protective cap510 may be determined based on the radius of curvature R formed by thedisplay 430 when the electronic device 400 is folded. For example, asthe radius of curvature is smaller, the size of the support part 513(e.g., second width w2) may be reduced.

FIG. 8 illustrates a partial view of an electronic device including ablocking member according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 illustrates a partialperspective view illustrating the blocking member of FIG. 8 arranged onprotection covers according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 illustrates apartial cross-sectional view of the electronic device in FIG. 8 takenalong the line E-E′ according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 8 to 10 , the electronic device 400 includes, as aprotection structure 600 in the folding region h3, a blocking member 620that covers the third periphery 433 of the display 430 and is supportedat both ends by the first protection cover 440 and the second protectioncover 450 without a protective cap exposed outside. The blocking member620 includes, in a region corresponding to the folding region (h3), abendable part 621 formed to at least partially cover the third periphery433 of the display 430, a first extension part 622 extending between thefirst housing structure 410 and the first protection cover 440 from thebendable part 621, and a second extension part 623 extending between thesecond housing structure 420 and the second protection cover 450 fromthe bendable part 621.

The blocking member 620 includes a first guide hole 6221 formed in thefirst extension part 622 to accommodate the first guide protrusion 441protruding from the inner surface of the first protection cover 440toward the first housing structure 410, and a second guide hole 6321formed in the second extension part 623 to accommodate the second guideprotrusion 451 protruding from the inner surface of the secondprotection cover 450 toward the second housing structure 420. When thefirst housing structure 410 and the second housing structure 420 arefolded, the first extension part 622 and the second extension part 623of the blocking member 620 can be moved in the left and right directionsunder the guidance of the first guide protrusion 441 and the secondguide protrusion 451 penetrating the first guide hole 6221 and thesecond guide hole 6231, respectively, thereby alleviating theconcentration of stress applied to the bendable part 621 and preventingdamage to the display 430 due to an excessive bending force of thebendable part 621. The electronic device 400 may include a supportmember 610 seated in the seating groove 472 formed in the hinge housing470 and disposed to have a thickness for supporting the rear surface ofthe blocking member 620. The support member 610 may be disposed, in thehinge housing 470, at a location overlapping the blocking member 620 soas to not be visible from the outside when the display 430 is viewedfrom above. The support member 610 may be made of a polymer materialhaving elasticity such as rubber, urethane, or silicone.

The blocking member 620 may be a thin film member made of a metal membersuch as stainless steel (SUS) or aluminum (Al). The blocking member 620may be a thin film member including a polymer member such aspolyethylene terephthalate (PET), PU, or TPU.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a partial view of an electronic deviceincluding a blocking member according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12 , the electronic device 400 includes, inthe folding region (h3), a blocking member 720 that covers the thirdperiphery 433 of the display 430 and is fixed at both ends to the firstprotection cover 440 and the second protection cover 450 without aprotective cap exposed outside. The blocking member 720 includes, in aregion corresponding to the folding region (h3), a bendable part 721formed to at least partially cover the third periphery 433 of thedisplay 430, a first extension part 722 extending between the firsthousing structure 410 and the first protection cover 440 from thebendable part 721, and a second extension part 723 extending between thesecond housing structure 420 and the second protection cover 450 fromthe bendable part 721.

Similarly to the above description, the blocking member 720 may includea first guide hole 7221 formed at the first extension part 722 toaccommodate the first guide protrusion 441 protruding from the innersurface of the first protection part 440 toward the first housingstructure 410, and a second guide hole 7221 formed at the secondextension part 723 to accommodate the second guide protrusion 451protruding from the inner surface of the second protection cover 450toward the second housing structure 420.

The blocking member 720 may include a plurality of openings 7211 formedat regular or irregular intervals in the bendable part 721. Theplurality of openings 7211 may be arranged to have a length along thelength direction (e.g., y-axis direction) of the folding region h3.Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 12 , the plurality of openings7212 may be arranged to have a length in the width direction (e.g.,x-axis direction) of the folding region h3. The flexural characteristicsof the bendable part 721 may be determined according to at least one ofthe shape of openings, the interval between openings, the density ofopenings, or the size of openings. For example, the bendable part 721may have improved bendability when the openings 7211 are denselyarranged. Alternatively, when some of the openings 7211 are omitted, thebendable part (721) may include a rigidity reinforcement portion withreduced bendability but with reinforced rigidity. The bendable part 721may also be configured such that the central portion has improvedflexibility compared to portions close to the first protection cover 440and the second protection cover 450. Although not illustrated, a supportmember, which is disposed between the hinge housing and the bendablepart 721 of the blocking member 720 and supports the bendable part 721to compensate for the space between the hinge housing 470 and thedisplay 430, may be further included.

The blocking member 720 may include a filling member filled in theplurality of openings 7121 or 7212 or a shielding member to shield theplurality of openings 7121 or 7212. By using the filling member or theshielding member, the blocking member 720 may supplement the rigiditywhile maintaining a certain degree of flexibility and may increase thedesign aesthetics. As another example, the filling member or theshielding member may prevent the inflow of foreign substances throughthe plurality of openings 7121 or 7212 from the outside. The fillingmember may be made of an elastic material such as rubber, urethane, orsilicone. The shielding member may include a film member made of apolymer material.

FIG. 13 illustrates a partial view of an electronic device including aprotective cap according to an embodiment. FIGS. 14A and 14B illustratea partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device in FIG. 13 takenalong the line F-F′ according to an embodiment. FIG. 15 illustrates asize of a protective cap determined based on a radius of curvature of adisplay when an electronic device is folded according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the electronic device 400 includes, in thefolding region h3, a protective cap 810 disposed to at least partiallycover the third periphery 433 of the display 430 without a separateblocking member. The protective cap 810 includes, in the folding regionh3, a fixing part 811 disposed in the hinge housing 470, and a supportpart 812 extending from the fixing part 811 toward the display 430. Inthe folded state, the fixing part 811 may be formed to have a firstwidth w3 that substantially occupies most of the width of the foldingregion h3, except for the minimum gap for avoiding interference betweenthe first protection cover 440 and the second protection cover 450.Alternatively, the support part 812 may be formed to have a second widthw4 smaller than the first width w3. The support part 812 may be disposedto overlap at least a portion of the third periphery 433 of the display430 when the display 430 is viewed from above. The protective cap 810may be made of an elastic material such as rubber, urethane, orsilicone.

Referring to FIG. 14A, the fixing part 811 includes at least one lockingprotrusion 8111 which at least partially extends downward in a hookshape. When the protective cap 810 is installed in the hinge housing470, the assembly may be completed by engaging the at least one lockingprotrusion 8111 to at least one locking groove 473 formed in the hingehousing 470. For example, the protective cap 810 made of an elasticmaterial may be easily coupled to the hinge housing 470 through acoupling structure between the locking protrusion 8111 and the lockinggroove 473. Such a coupling structure may improve the assembly of theelectronic device 400 and facilitate separation of the protective cap810 for maintenance. Alternatively, the coupling structure between theprotective cap 810 and the hinge housing 470 may be applied to thecoupling between the protective cap and the hinge housing describedbefore.

Referring to FIG. 14B, the protective cap 810 may be fixed by seatingthe protrusion 474 formed in the hinge housing 470 at the seatingportion 8131 formed by ribs 8112 at least partially protruding from theback of the fixing part 811 and using an attachment process such asbonding, taping or fusion.

Referring to FIG. 15 , when the electronic device 400 is folded, thedisplay 430 corresponding to the folding region h3 formed by the firsthousing structure 410 and the second housing structure 420 may be foldedto have a specific radius of curvature R due to the in-foldingcharacteristic. The second width w4 of the support part 812 of theprotective cap 810 may be determined based on the radius of curvature Rformed by the display 430 when the electronic device 400 is folded. Forexample, as the radius of curvature is smaller, the size of the supportpart 513 (e.g., second width w4) may be reduced.

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate a partial view of an electronic deviceincluding a protection structure according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17 , the electronic device 400 includes, inthe folding region h3, a protective cap 910 that is disposed in thehinge housing 470 and at least partially covers a portion of the thirdperiphery 433 of the display 430. The electronic device 400 may includea pair of blocking members 920 that disposed between the firstprotection cover 440 and the second protection cover 450 and extend toat least some portions of the folding region h3 to cover at least aportion of the third periphery 433 of the display 430. The protectivecap 910 may include a base 911 fixed to the hinge housing 470, and asupport part 912 extending from the base 911 to a position at leastpartially overlapping with the display 430 when the display 430 isviewed from above. The pair of blocking members 920 may be attached tothe first protection cover 440 and the second protection cover 450through bonding, taping, or fusion so as to at least partially protrudeinto the folding region h3. The blocking member 920 may include apolymer film member such as PET.

FIG. 18 illustrates an assembly process of the protection structure ofFIG. 16 according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 18 , the assembly of the electronic device 400 may beimproved because the blocking member 920 is assembled to the firsthousing structure 410 and the second housing structure 420 while beingattached to the first protection cover 440 and the second protectioncover 450. The first housing structure 410 and the second housingstructure 420 connected to the hinge housing 470 through the hingestructure may be prepared. Thereafter, the display 430 may be disposedthrough the first housing structure 410 and the second housing structure420. An adhesive member may be applied through the illustrated adhesiveline BL in the housing structures 410 and 420 and the hinge housing 470where the display 430 is disposed. The adhesive member may be replacedby taping or fusion. The pair of blocking members 920 may be attached tothe first protection cover 440 and the second protection cover 450through bonding, taping, or fusion so as to at least partially protrudeinto the folding region h3.

The assembly of the protective cap 910 can be completed by seating theseating protrusion 9111 projecting from the base 911 of the protectivecap 910 at the seating groove 475 of the hinge housing 470 to which theadhesive member is applied. The support part 912 of the protective cap910 may cover, in the folding region h3, at least a portion of the thirdperiphery 433 of the display 430. Thereafter, the assembly can becompleted when the first protection cover 440 and the second protectioncover 450 to which the blocking member 920 is fixed are disposed in thefirst housing structure 410 and the second housing structure 420,respectively, in which the display 430 is disposed. The pair of blockingmembers 920 may cover, in the folding region h3, at least a portion ofthe third periphery 433 of the display 430. The pair of blocking members920 may be disposed to extend near the support part 912 of theprotective cap 910, and the placement line of the pair of blockingmembers 920 and the placement line of the support part 912 may coincideon the display 430.

FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate partial front and rear perspective views of ablocking member disposed on protection covers according to anembodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20 , the blocking member 1010 may bephysically connected to the first protection cover 440 and the secondprotection cover 450. The blocking member 1010 includes a bendable part1011 disposed in a region corresponding to the folding region h3 of thedisplay 430, a first fixing part 1012 extending from one end of thebendable part 1011 and fixed to the first protection cover 440, and asecond fixing part 1013 extending from the other end of the bendablepart 1011 and fixed to the second protection cover 450. The blockingmember 1010 may be made of a rubber, silicone, or urethane materialhaving an elastic restoring force. The blocking member 1010 may be fixedto the first protection cover 440 and the second protection cover 450through insert injection. Alternatively, the blocking member 1010 may befixed to the first protection cover 440 and the second protection cover450 through bonding, taping, or fusion. The blocking member 1010 may bealigned with the first protection cover 440 and the second protectioncover 450 on the display 430, thereby seamlessly covering the periphery433 of the display 430.

The blocking member 1010 may include a plurality of grooves 1011 aformed on the rear surface of the bendable part 1011. The flexuralcharacteristics of the bendable part 1011 may be determined by theplurality of grooves 1011 a. For example, the flexural characteristicsof the bendable part 1011 may be determined based on the shape, size,depth, density, or spacing of the grooves 1011 a.

The blocking member 1010 may include an assembly structure that isdisposed on the rear surface of the bendable part 1011 and is assembledwith the hinge housing 470. The blocking member 1010 may include a pairof support ribs 1011 b and 1011 c that protrude with a given intervaltherebetween to form a guide groove 1011 d. The pair of support ribs1011 b and 1011 c may be formed in a direction from the first protectioncover 440 toward the second protection cover 450, for example, in thelength direction of the bendable part 1011.

As the protection structure is integrally formed with the firstprotection cover 440 and the second protection cover 450, it may coverthe periphery 433 of the display 430 exposed to the folding region h3 byinstalling the protection covers 440 and 450 in the first housingstructure 410 and the second housing structure 420. Consequently, theassembly of the electronic device can be improved.

FIG. 21A illustrates a partial perspective view of a hinge housingaccording to an embodiment. FIG. 21B illustrates a partial perspectiveview of a blocking member disposed in a hinge housing of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment. FIG. 21C illustrates a blockingmember folded along a hinge housing according to an embodiment. FIG. 22illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along the line G-G′ in FIG. 21Caccording to an embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 21A to 22 , the hinge housing 470 includes, in thefolding region h3, a member fixing part 476 that accommodates the pairof support ribs 1011 b and 1011 c of the blocking member 1010. The hingehousing 470 includes a guide rib 4761 protruding from the member fixingpart 476. When the blocking member 1010 is installed in the hingehousing 470, the guide rib 4761 of the hinge housing 470 is insertedinto the guide groove 1011 d formed by the pair of support ribs 1011 band 1011 c, completing the assembly. The first protection cover 440, theblocking member 1010, and the second protection cover 450 may beintegrally formed and be arranged so that the lines covering theperiphery of the display 430 may all be matched.

The member fixing part 476 and the guide rib 4761 of the hinge housing470 include a curved groove 4762 recessed inwardly with respect to thecentral portion. The curved groove 4762 may be used as an accommodationspace for accommodating the downwardly expanded portion of the elasticbendable part 1011 of the elastic blocking member 1010 that is alsofolded when the electronic device 400 is folded.

FIG. 23 illustrates a partial view of an electronic device including aprotective cap and a blocking structure according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 23 , the electronic device 400 includes, in thefolding region h3, a protective cap 1100 disposed in the hinge housing.The protective cap 1100 includes a fixing part 1110 fixed to the hingehousing 470, and a support part 1120 extending from the fixing part 1110toward the third periphery 433 of the display 430.

The display 430 may further include a protective film 4301 disposed toprotect the outer surface through the substantially entire area. Theprotective film 4301 may include a PI film. The protective film 4301 maybe formed to extend to a portion of the support part 1120 in the foldingregion h3. In the folding region h3, the third periphery 433 of thedisplay may be protected by the protective film 4301, and the peripheryof the protective film 4301 may be protected by the support part 1120 ofthe protective cap 1100.

Alternatively, the shape of the display 430 may be changed in thefolding region h3 in order to extend to a position supported by thesupport part 1120 of the protective cap 1100. The expanded area of thedisplay 430 may extend up to the folding region h3, at least a portionof the first region h1 extending from the folding region h3, and atleast a portion of the second region h2.

FIG. 24 illustrates a hinge plate according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 24 , the electronic device includes, in the foldingregion h3, a hinge plate 1300 disposed in the hinge housing 470. Thehinge plate 1300 includes a first hinge plate 1310 and a second hingeplate 1320 rotatably connected to each other through at least one hingemodule 1330. The first hinge plate 1310 may be connected to the firsthousing structure. The second hinge plate 1320 may be connected to thesecond housing structure. Consequently, the display 430 may be disposedthrough the support of the first housing structure 410, the pair ofhinge plates 1300, and the second housing structure 420.

The first hinge plate 1310 and the second hinge plate 1320 include, tosupport the third periphery 433 of the display 430 in the folding regionh3, a first extension piece 1311 and a second extension piece 1321 thatare formed as close as possible to the extent that they do not interferewith each other in the folding operation. The first extension piece 1311and the second extension piece 1321 may prevent a pressing phenomenondue to the space generated between the hinge housing 470 and the display430.

FIGS. 25A and 25B illustrate a partial view of an electronic deviceincluding a protection structure according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 25A and 25B, the electronic device 400 includes thefirst region h1 facing the first housing structure 410, the secondregion h2 facing the second housing structure 420, and the foldingregion h3 facing the hinge structure. The electronic device 400includes, as a protection structure 200, a protective cap 210 disposedin the folding region h3, and a blocking member 220 disposed to be atleast partially supported by the protective cap 210.

The protective cap 210 may have a configuration substantially the sameas the protective cap 510 of FIG. 5A. The protective cap 210 includes,in the folding region h3, a protrusion 212 at least partially fixed tothe hinge housing 470, and a support part 213 extending from theprotrusion 212 toward the display 430 to support at least a portion ofthe blocking member 220. The width of the support part 213 may be fixedor may gradually decrease as it is closer to the display. Alternatively,the width of the support part 513 may gradually increase as it is closerto the display.

The blocking member 220 may be supported by at least a portion of theprotective cap 210, cover the third periphery 433 on the display 430,and connect the first protection cover 440 and the second protectioncover 450. Specifically, the blocking member 220 may connect the firstprotection cover 440 and the second protection cover 450 and may blockthe third periphery 433 of the display 430 exposed to the folding regionh3 from being visible from the outside, thereby preventing the display430 from being damaged by arbitrary manipulation of the third periphery433. In addition, at least a portion of the protective cap 210 fills thespace between the hinge housing and the display 430, thereby preventingdeformation of the display 430 due to the pressing.

The blocking member 220 may be formed by laminating different materials.The blocking member 220 may be formed by attaching a first member havingrigidity and a second member having flexibility or flexuosity together.The blocking member 220 may include a buffer rib 2212 at least partiallybent downward, protecting the third periphery 433 of the display 430from external impact.

The blocking member 220 includes, in a region corresponding to thefolding region h3, a bendable part 221 disposed to at least partiallycover the third periphery 433 of the display 430, a first extension part222 extending between the first housing structure 410 and the firstprotection cover 440 from the bendable part 221, and a second extensionpart 223 extending between the second housing structure 420 and thesecond protection cover 450 from the bendable part 221. The bendablepart 221 includes a seating portion 2211 for accommodating theprotrusion 212 of the protective cap 210. The blocking member 220 may bedisposed in such a manner that the protrusion 212 of the protective cap210 is received in the seating portion 2211.

The electronic device 400 may further include a guide structure so as toalleviate the concentration of stress applied to the bendable part 221of the blocking member 220 due to the folding operation of the firsthousing structure 410 and the second housing structure 420 and toprovide smooth flexural characteristics without excessive stress on thedisplay 430. The blocking member 220 may include a first guide hole 2221formed at the first extension part 222 to receive a first guideprotrusion 441 protruding from the inner surface of the first protectioncover 440 toward the first housing structure 410, and a second guidehole 2231 formed at the second extension part 223 to receive a secondguide protrusion 451 protruding from the inner surface of the secondprotection cover 450 toward the second housing structure 420. When theelectronic device 400 is in a folding operation, the first extensionpart 222 and the second extension part 223 of the blocking member 220can be moved under the guidance of the first guide protrusion 441 andthe second guide protrusion 451 penetrating the first guide hole 2221and the second guide hole 2231, respectively, alleviating theconcentration of stress applied to the bendable part 221. For example,to prevent separation of the first extension part 222 and the secondextension part 223 while folding or unfolding the electronic device 400,the first guide protrusion 441 and the second guide protrusion 451 maybe formed to protrude up to the first housing structure 410 and thesecond housing structure 420, respectively.

Alternatively, the first guide protrusion 441 and the second guideprotrusion 451 may be structurally coupled to the first housingstructure 410 and the second housing structure 420, respectively, or thefirst guide protrusion 441 and the second guide protrusion 451 may beformed to have a locking shape (e.g., a hook shape) for preventingseparation of the first extension part 222 and the second extension part223 during the folding or unfolding of the electronic device 400.

FIG. 25C illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 25B taken along the line H-H′ according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 25C, the protective cap 210 includes a seatingprotrusion 2111 protruding downward from the protrusion 212. When theprotective cap 210 is disposed in the hinge housing 470, the protectivecap 210 may be fixed by seating the at least one seating protrusion 2111in the seating groove 471 formed at the hinge housing 470. For example,the seating protrusion 2111 of the protective cap 210 may be fixed tothe seating groove 471 of the hinge housing 470 through at least oneprocess including bonding, taping, or fusion.

The support part 213 of the protective cap 210 may at least partiallyoverlap the third periphery 433 of the display 430 with a givenoverlapping amount “d” when the display 430 is viewed from above. Atleast a portion of the blocking member 220 may be disposed on thedisplay 430 to cover the third periphery 433 of the display 430. Theblocking member 200 may be disposed so that the first member 220 ahaving relatively reinforced rigidity faces the protective cap 210 andthe second member 220 b having flexibility faces the display 430. Thebuffer rib 2212 may extend downward from the second member 220 b to facethe third periphery 433 of the display 430. Alternatively, the bufferrib 2212 may extend from the first member 220 a of the blocking member220.

FIG. 26A illustrates a perspective view of a blocking member accordingto an embodiment. FIG. 26B illustrates a rear view of a blocking memberaccording to an embodiment. FIG. 26C illustrates a cross-sectional viewof the blocking member in FIG. 26A taken along the line I-I′ accordingto an embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 26A to 26C, the blocking member 220 may be formed bylaminating different materials. The blocking member 220 may be formed byattaching a first member 220 a having rigidity and a second member 220 bhaving flexibility together. The first member 220 a may substantiallyface the protective cap in order to help prevent damage to the display,e.g., due to a user's fingernail. The second member 220 b may include abuffer rib 2212 that is at least partially bent downwards, protectingthe third periphery of the display from an external impact. The firstmember 220 a may include PU, TPU, or PC. The second member 220 b mayinclude silicone, urethane, or rubber. The first member 220 a and thesecond member 220 b may be attached to each other through bonding,taping, or fusion. The blocking member 220 may be made of the samesingle material as the first member 220 a or the second member 220 b.

The buffer rib 2212, which is bent from the second member 220 b andextended to face the third periphery 433 of the display 430, includes atleast one flexure receiving groove 2213 at least partially formed toprovide an excellent flexural property. When the electronic device 400is in the folding operation, the blocking member 220 may help to provideenhanced flexuosity, thereby allowing the display 430 to be flexiblyfolded together.

FIG. 27 illustrates a partial rear perspective view of a blocking memberdisposed on protection covers according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 27 , the blocking member 220 is disposed so that thefirst guide protrusion 441 of the first protection cover 440 penetratesthe first guide hole 2221 of the first extension part 222 and the secondguide protrusion 451 of the second protection cover 450 penetrates thesecond guide hole 2231 of the second extension part 223. The guidestructure in which the guide protrusions 441 and 451 are moved along theguide holes 2221 and 2231, respectively, during the folding andunfolding operation of the electronic device 400 may help to relievestress concentrated on the blocking member 220. The first guideprotrusion 441 projecting through the first guide hole 2221 and thesecond guide protrusion 451 projecting through the second guide hole2223 may be in contact with or structurally coupled with the firsthousing structure 410 and the second housing structure 420, therebypreventing the blocking member 220 from being separated from theelectronic device 400 during operation.

The blocking member 220 may overlap at least a portion of the thirdperiphery 433 of the display 430, thereby preventing the third periphery433 of the display 430 from being exposed to the outside of theelectronic device 400. The blocking member 220 may help prevent damageof the third periphery 433 due to external impact through the elasticbuffer rib 2212 extended to face the third periphery 433 of the display430.

FIG. 28A illustrates a partial view of an electronic device including aprotection structure according to an embodiment. FIG. 28B illustrates apartial view of a housing structures and showing auxiliary blockingmembers according to an embodiment.

FIG. 29A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 28A taken along the line J-J′ according to an embodiment.FIG. 29B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice in FIG. 28A taken along the line K-K′ according to an embodiment.FIG. 29C illustrates a partial cross-sectional view showing a foldedstate of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

In FIG. 28A, the same or similar reference numerals are given tosubstantially the same elements as those of the electronic device 400 ofFIG. 25B, and duplicate descriptions may be omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 28A to 29C, the third periphery 433 of the display430 of the electronic device 400 may be arranged in the folding regionh3 to be protected by a blocking member 220 that is disposed on thethird periphery 433, is in the form of a film, and has both endsconnected to the first protection cover 440 and the second protectioncover 450. For example, at least a portion of the blocking member 220may be arranged in the folding region h3 so as to be at least partiallysupported by the support part 213 of the protective cap 210 disposed inthe hinge housing.

The electronic device 400 further includes a pair of auxiliary blockingmembers 231 and 232 disposed between the protective cap 210 and thefirst protection cover 440 and between the protective cap 210 and thesecond protection cover 450, respectively. The pair of auxiliaryblocking members 231 and 232 may block foreign substances from flowinginto the electronic device 400 by shielding between the protrusion 212of the protective cap 210 and the first protection cover 440 andshielding between the protrusion 212 of the protective cap 210 and thesecond protection cover 450. The pair of auxiliary blocking members 231and 232 may be adjacent to the blocking member 220 without an overlapwhen the display 430 is viewed from above.

The pair of auxiliary blocking members 231 and 232 may include a firstauxiliary blocking member 231 disposed to extend from between the firsthousing structure 410 and the first protection cover 440 in the firstregion h1 to at least a portion between the protrusion 212 of theprotective cap 210 and the hinge housing 470 in the folding region h3.The pair of auxiliary blocking members 231 and 232 may include a secondauxiliary blocking member 232 disposed to extend from between the secondhousing structure 420 and the second protection cover 450 in the secondregion h2 to at least a portion between the protrusion 212 of theprotective cap 210 and the hinge housing 470 in the folding region h3.The pair of auxiliary blocking members 231 and 232 may at leastpartially overlap the protrusion 212 of the protective cap 210 when thedisplay 430 is viewed from above.

The first auxiliary blocking member 231 may be attached to the firstprotection cover 440. The second auxiliary blocking member 232 may beattached to the second protection cover 450. The pair of auxiliaryblocking members 231 and 232 may be disposed on the first housingstructure 410, the hinge housing 470, and the second housing structure420 before the display 430 is disposed. The pair of auxiliary blockingmembers 231 and 232 may be attached respectively to the protectioncovers 440 and 450 through taping, bonding, or fusion. Alternatively,the pair of auxiliary blocking members 231 and 232 may be attached to atleast some of the housing structures 410 and 420. The pair of auxiliaryblocking members 231 and 232 may be disposed such that one ends thereofare fixed respectively to the protection covers 440 and 450 and theother ends thereof ride over the protrusion 212 of the protective cap210 according to the folding or unfolding of the electronic device 400.For example, the pair of auxiliary blocking members 231 and 232 may bemade of a material such as PET and may be formed in a thin film formhaving elasticity.

FIG. 30 illustrates a contact configuration between a protective cap andauxiliary blocking members 231 and 232 due to a folding operation of anelectronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 30 , the pair of auxiliary blocking members 231 and232 have fixed ends 231 a and 232 a respectively fixed to the protectioncovers 440 and 450, and free ends 231 b and 232 b riding over theprotrusion 212 of the protective cap 210 according to the folding orunfolding of the electronic device 400. When the electronic device isunfolded, the free ends 231 b and 232 b of the auxiliary blockingmembers 231 and 232 may be disposed under the protrusion 212 of theprotective cap 210. While the electronic device is folded, the free ends231 b and 232 b of the auxiliary blocking members 231 and 232 may bemoved above the protrusion 212 after riding along the periphery of theprotrusion 212 of the protective cap 210 with elastic deformation. Thetwo ends of the protrusion 212 of the protective cap 210 may be formedto have a relatively thin thickness through a chamfering process inorder for the free ends 231 b and 232 b of the auxiliary blockingmembers 231 and 232 to easily ride over the protrusion 212 throughelastic deformation. In addition, the two ends of the protrusion 212 ofthe protective cap 210 may be formed in a bended curve in order for thefree ends 231 b and 232 b of the auxiliary blocking members 231 and 232to easily ride over the protrusion 212.

According to an embodiment, a foldable electronic device is provided,which includes a display protection structure that can protect theperiphery of the display based on the hinge structure.

According to an embodiment, a foldable electronic device is provided,which includes a display protection structure that can prevent amalfunction of the display by compensating for the space between thedisplay and the hinge structure in the hinge structure.

According to various embodiments, an electronic device (e.g., electronicdevice 400 in FIG. 4B) may include: a housing as a housing structurethat includes: a hinge structure (e.g., hinge structure 464 in FIG. 4B)corresponding to a folding region (e.g., folding region h3 in FIG. 4B)and including a hinge housing (e.g., hinge housing 470 in FIG. 4A); afirst housing structure (e.g., first housing structure 410 in FIG. 4B)corresponding to a first region (e.g., first region h1 in FIG. 4B),connected to the hinge structure, and including a first surface (e.g.,first surface 411 in FIG. 4B), a second surface (e.g., second surface412 in FIG. 4B) facing away from the first surface, and a first sidemember (e.g., first side member 413 in FIG. 4B) surrounding a firstspace between the first surface and the second surface; and a secondhousing structure (e.g., second housing structure 420 in FIG. 4B)corresponding to a second region (e.g., second region h2 in FIG. 4B),connected to the hinge structure, and including a third surface (e.g.,third surface 421 in FIG. 4B), a fourth surface (e.g., fourth surface422 in FIG. 4B) facing away from the third surface, and a second sidemember (e.g., second side member 423 in FIG. 4B) surrounding a secondspace between the third surface and the fourth surface, wherein thefirst housing structure and the second housing structure are arranged tobe foldable about the hinge structure so that the first surface and thethird surface face the same direction in an unfolded state and thesecond surface and the fourth surface face in opposite directions toeach other in a folded state; a display (e.g., display 430 in FIG. 4B)disposed to traverse from at least a portion of the first surface to atleast a portion of the third surface through the folding region; a firstprotection cover (e.g., first protection cover 440 in FIG. 4B) disposedon at least some of the periphery (e.g., first periphery 431 in FIG. 4B)of the display and along the periphery thereof in the first region; asecond protection cover (e.g., second protection cover 450 in FIG. 4B)disposed on at least some of the periphery (e.g., second periphery 432in FIG. 4B) of the display and along the periphery thereof in the secondregion; and at least one protection structure (e.g., protectionstructure 500 in FIG. 4A) arranged to protect the periphery (e.g., thirdperiphery 433 and/or fourth periphery 434 in FIG. 4B) of the display inthe folding region.

In various embodiments, the protection structure may include, in thefolding region, a protective cap (e.g., protective cap 510 in FIG. 5B)disposed in the hinge housing, and a blocking member (e.g., blockingmember 520 in FIG. 5B) supported by the protective cap and arranged toat least partially cover the periphery of the display.

In various embodiments, the protective cap may include, in the foldingregion, a base (e.g., base 511 in FIG. 5B) fixed to the hinge housing, aprotrusion (e.g., protrusion 512 in FIG. 5B) projecting upward from thebase and formed to have a first width (e.g., first width w1 in FIG. 5B)smaller than the base, and a support part (e.g., support part 513 inFIG. 5B) extending from the protrusion toward the display, supporting atleast a portion of the blocking member on the upper surface of theblocking member, and having a second width (e.g., second width w2 inFIG. 5B) smaller than the first width. When the display is viewed fromabove, the support part may be disposed to at least partially overlapthe display.

In various embodiments, the protrusion and the support part may beformed in an upward curved shape.

In various embodiments, the size of the second width of the support partmay be determined based on the radius of curvature (e.g., radius ofcurvature R in FIG. 7 ) formed by the folded display when the electronicdevice is folded.

In various embodiments, the blocking member may include a bendable part(e.g., bendable part 521 in FIG. 51B) facing the folding region andcovering the periphery, a first extension part (e.g., first extensionpart 522 in FIG. 5B) extending between the first protection cover andthe first housing structure from one end of the bendable part, and asecond extension part (e.g., second extension part 523 in FIG. 5B)extending between the second protection cover and the second housingstructure from the other end of the bendable part. At least a portion ofthe bendable part may be disposed to be supported by the support part.

In various embodiments, the first extension part may include a firstguide hole (e.g., first guide hole 5221 in FIG. 5B) to accommodate afirst guide protrusion (e.g., first guide protrusion 441 in FIG. 5B)projecting from the inner surface of the first protection cover; thesecond extension part may include a second guide hole (e.g., secondguide hole 5231 in FIG. 5B) to accommodate a second guide protrusion(e.g., second guide protrusion 451 in FIG. 5B) projecting from the innersurface of the second protection cover; and the first extension part andthe second extension part may be guided along the first guide protrusionand the second guide protrusion as the electronic device is being foldedor unfolded.

In various embodiments, the blocking member may further include a bufferrib extending from the bendable part toward the hinge housing to facethe periphery of the display.

In various embodiments, the electronic device may further include a pairof auxiliary blocking members (e.g., auxiliary blocking members 231 and232 in FIG. 28A) disposed respectively between the protective cap andthe first protection cover and between the protective cap and the secondprotection cover, and the pair of auxiliary blocking members may bedisposed to be adjacent to the blocking member when the display isviewed from above.

In various embodiments, the protection structure may include a blockingmember. The blocking member may include, in the folding region, abendable part disposed in the hinge housing to at least partially coverthe periphery of the display, a first extension part extending from oneend of the bendable part and disposed between the first protection coverand the first housing structure, and a second extension part extendingfrom the other end of the bendable part and disposed between the secondprotection cover and the second housing structure. The bendable part mayinclude a plurality of openings (e.g., openings 7141 in FIG. 11 ) formedat regular or irregular intervals.

In various embodiments, the flexural characteristics of the bendablepart may be determined based on at least one of the size of openings,the shape of openings, the interval between openings, or the density ofopenings.

In various embodiments, the plurality of openings may be arranged tohave the same or different lengths in the longitudinal direction of thebendable part or in the width direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction.

In various embodiments, the electronic device may further include atleast one support member (e.g., support member 610 in FIG. 10 ) disposedbetween the hinge housing and the bendable part to support the bendablepart.

In various embodiments, the protection structure may include, in thefolding region, as a protective cap (e.g., protective cap 810 in FIG. 13) disposed in the hinge housing, a fixing part (e.g., fixing part 811 inFIG. 13 ) disposed along the width direction of the folding region, anda support part (e.g., support part 812 in FIG. 13 ) extending from thefixing part toward the display. The support part may be extended tocover at least some of the periphery of the display.

In various embodiments, the size of the support part may be determinedbased on the radius of curvature (e.g., radius of curvature R in FIG. 15) formed by the folded display when the electronic device is folded.

In various embodiments, the protection structure may include a firstblocking member extending between the first protection cover and thefirst housing structure to the folding region, and a second blockingmember extending between the second protection cover and the secondhousing structure to the folding region. The first blocking member andthe second blocking member may be arranged in the folding region to atleast partially cover the periphery of the display.

In various embodiments, the electronic device may further include aprotective cap disposed between the first blocking member and the secondblocking member in the hinge housing of the folding region. Theprotective cap may include a support part that at least partially coversthe periphery of the display.

In various embodiments, the first blocking member and the secondblocking member may each include a film member made of a polymermaterial fixed to the first protection cover or the second protectioncover.

In various embodiments, the protection structure may include a blockingmember. The blocking member may include a bendable part disposed to atleast partially cover the periphery of the display, a first fixing partextending from one end of the bendable part and fixed to the firstprotection cover, and a second fixing part extending from the other endof the bendable part and fixed to the second protection cover. The linesof the bendable part, the first protection cover, and the secondprotection cover covering the display may be arranged to coincide.

In various embodiments, the blocking member may be made of at least oneof rubber, urethane, or silicone having elasticity, and may be fixed tothe first protection cover and the second protection cover throughinsert injection.

Hereinabove, embodiments of the disclosure have been described withreference to the accompanying drawings. Specific terms or words used inthe description should be construed in accordance with the spirit of thedisclosure without limiting the subject matter thereof.

While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference tovarious embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as definedby the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: a firsthousing; a second housing; a hinge structure including a hinge moduleconnecting the first housing and the second housing in a foldable mannerwith respect to a folding axis, and a hinge housing accommodating thehinge module; a flexible display including a first region correspondingto the first housing, a second region corresponding to the secondhousing, and a bending region corresponding to the hinge structure; afirst protection cover disposed over the first housing to cover a firstperiphery of the first region of the flexible display; a secondprotection cover disposed over the second housing to cover a secondperiphery of the second region of the flexible display; a protective capdisposed over the hinge structure; and a blocking member disposedbetween the flexible display and the protective cap and connecting thefirst protection cover and the second protection cover such that a thirdperiphery of the bending region of the flexible display is covered bythe blocking member, the blocking member being composed of an elasticmaterial to bend corresponding to the foldable manner.
 2. The electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein a first end portion of the blocking member isdisposed between the flexible display and the first protection cover,and wherein a second end portion of the blocking member is disposedbetween the flexible display and the second protection cover.
 3. Theelectronic device of claim 2, wherein the first end portion of theblocking member includes a first hole formed therein, and wherein thesecond end portion of the blocking member includes a second hole formedtherein.
 4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the firstprotection cover includes a first protrusion protruding from an innersurface of the first protection cover through the first hole to fix thefirst end portion to the first protection cover, and wherein the secondprotection cover includes a second protrusion protruding from an innersurface of the second protection cover through the second hole to fixthe second end portion to the second protection cover.
 5. The electronicdevice of claim 2, wherein the blocking member further comprises acenter portion disposed between the first end portion and the second endportion, wherein the center portion is disposed to at least a partiallyoverlap with the third periphery of the flexible display in the bendingregion when the flexible display is viewed from above.
 6. The electronicdevice of claim 5, wherein the center portion is integrally formed withthe first end portion and the second end portion.
 7. The electronicdevice of claim 5, wherein the center portion of the blocking member iselastically deformed with the bending region of the flexible displaywhen the electronic device is folded.
 8. The electronic device of claim5, wherein the center portion, the first end portion, and the second endportion are arranged in a same line.
 9. The electronic device of claim2, wherein the first end portion is disposed to at least a partiallyoverlap with the first periphery of the flexible display in the firstregion when the flexible display is viewed from above, and wherein thesecond end portion is disposed to at least a partially overlap with thesecond periphery of the flexible display in the second region when theflexible display is viewed from above.
 10. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the blocking member is integrally formed with the firstprotection cover and the second protection cover.
 11. The electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein the protective cap is disposed to support theblocking member so as to maintain the blocking member on the thirdperiphery of the flexible display while the first housing and the secondhousing are fold or unfold relative to each other.
 12. The electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein the protective cap is disposed to at least apartially overlap with the third periphery of the flexible display inthe third region when the flexible display is viewed from above.
 13. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the blockingmember at least partially overlaps with at least a part of theprotective cap when the flexible display is viewed from above.